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Sunday, October 12, 2008

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I ended up with a free Starbuck's Barista espresso machine with a broken pump. It still made noise, but no water pumped. I quickly discovered that a replacement pump can cost as much as $100 online. I figured that I was mechanically inclined and I couldn't break a broken pump any worse than it already was. I've since seen that others have ended up with non-working pumps too. I suspect that a good cleaning will get many pumps working again.

Here's a picture of the business section of the machine after you remove the sheet metal cover. Remove the screws I've got arrows pointing to and the entire lower plastic parts will slide out so you can get to the screws to remove the pump.

I found it was easier to undo the high pressure fitting at the boiler. It did not want to come apart at the pump. I needed to remove one of the electrical connectors connected to one of the witches to get to the fitting easier.

In the picture below, I've removed the pump rubber mounting brackets and fittings along with the electrical connections The red wire goes in the middle connector.

OK, now the pump is out. The main pump mechanism is held into the pump body with two screws. The top fittings will unscrew. Now, it's time to get serious about the teardown.

Here's the totally disassembled pump. There's not that many parts, and they are all pretty sturdy. The main white nylon/plastic section will rotate and come apart. The parts all come apart easily. They can be cleaned with a mixture of distilled vinegar with a little water if necessary. The most likely area to have problems is in the brass section that is exploded in the inset, or in the two pieces marked with number #1. These two pieces should come out pretty easily after the hose is disconnected. When you go to insert the pieces back in, putthe two pieces together like #4 in the inset. This will make sure everything seats properly. In my case the problem area was the brass fixture that I've blown apart in the inset. Click on the picture to see a large version.

The rubber gasket, nylon ball and spring labeled at #2 above all came apart easily. The problem was parts #3 and #4. I couldn't figure out how to get them out. Part #3 can be unscrewed from the brass section. I used a pair of tweezers. A very small pair of needle nose pliers could also work. It can be unscrewed. If the spring doesn't pull out easily, don't pull too hard. You can take a paper clip and push it through the brass fixture to break loose the rubber piece and spring from the brass fixture. That was the problem with my pump. Somehow the rubber piece got stuck. Take all the pieces and soak them in the vinegar and water mixture. Make sure the the rubber and spring are put back together as shown in the inset before reassembling everything. Part #3 does not have to be screwed back in. It can be pushed back in place without screwing it in. It's a one way connector. It has to be unscrewed to take it out, but it can be pushed n.

At this point it's just a matter of trying out the pump. In the picture below I'm showing a setup I'd never recommend. I've connected up the power, put the intake for the pump into a Tupperware container and set the output of the pump into a cup. I'm careful to hold the plastic pieces of the pump with gloves while I test the pump. After I tested it, the pump was pumping lot's of water into the cup. Yea.

At this point, it was just a matter of putting everything back together, trying it out and pumping most of the water reservoir through the portafilter to clean out the vinegar. At this point, I put the sheet metal back on and started the process of becoming a reasonable coffee geek.

If you have questions or issues with this, contact me at "rod (at) myschiffman.org".

184 comments:

Anonymous
said...

Thanks! Never figured that the little valve (part #3) was there and could be the issue of my pressure problem. When I took it out I found that material (tiny balls) from the anti scale unit I put in actually caused the issue. The tiny balls got stuck in this area and prevented the valve closing.

amazing job. I am trying to get the metal case off (removed 6 screws, the plsatic water funnel, the cord clamp) but it's hung up a the top front seam and I don't want to force it, cause I don't know how it's being held there.

Once I get to the pump I can use you diagrams for cleanup. The steamwand works fine for steam and hot water delivery but the espresso side just dribbles, even after multiple descaling.

Rudyard, The front of the sheet metal is bent and slides into a channel in the front. It should just lift straight up. It not, use a knife or something thin to slide under and lift up. You can sort of see it in the first picture. Good luck.

Thanks so much for the tutorial. I had just replaced the electric motor on my Mum's old carpet cleaning machine and when I reassembled it I discovered that the pump was not working Oh NO! I priced a new pump at a ridiculous $340 NZD. Time to pull it apart. I couldn't see where the problem was at first but thanks to your tutorial and the tweezers trick I was able to repair the pump in twenty minutes. Awesome. You ROCK.

Hi, Googleling for the pump brand "Ulka mode E Type EP5" I found your page and I'm very, very surprised! Alone, I did disassemble the whole cafee machine, I have Breville brand, but it uses the same pump. I've been trying the pump with similar means (no gloves), but with an old cable for computer, that I opened to connect to the pump, and a bottle of water. Only some noise, no jet, nothing. So tomorrow I will open the pump and clean it, will give you a feed-back. But your blog saved me!! Thanks a lot, even if I will have other problem there, you really rock! Thanks for all guys who will find your site!Orline

OK, I dismanteled the pump. All parts are there and i did rinse them with vinegar. I think my problem is the small plastic ball in part 2,, - it is too small it goes inside the spring. Is it normal? I think it should stay on the top of the spring so it serve as a kind of valve, right? Is it possible to be "eaten" (used)? Except water, I did rinse once my machine with a standard solution(kind of white vinegar I think) bought especially for that on the market.

You are correct, the ball should set on top of the spring. Can you tell if the spring top has opened over time? I would think the ball should be pretty inert.Can you tighten the top of the spring so the ball won't drop through? That should work too.

That was my point too, I have to try to tighten the spring's top slightly ... BTW, when unscrewing connections there was some red material inside, I think it would be kind of "Loctite", if you know what I mean - to make connection pressure-proof ..O.

OK, job finished !!!!!!Thanks Schiffman!!IT WORKS !!!!!!!!!!I did apply some Loctite 242 (blue) to the threads (there was red, but red is forever, blue is re-screwable), and - miracle - NO srew left after work is done.And espresso is buuuuuuuuuutiful!!Thanks man, you did help me, and probably helped to other paople. This is the dorce of Internet, the real one, and people like you!

I'm totally disappointed ... It worked for 3 cups of coffee, then it makes noise, some pressure but not the whole one needed to extract the magic brown liquid ... Trying to switch to vapor then back to the main coffee exhaust with water and vinegar .. it leaks but not the whole power.. Do you think that the heating head could be filled with anything (scales) or is it impossible?Orline

... one more thing, I've read somewhere here that the plastic #3 could be reversed as side, I think I did it as it was, but ... you never know... What is the right position, please, do you have a shot of it? Somebody was talking about reversing to keep some 8 mm of place, or to strengthen the spring.Thanks a lot,Orline

The #3 part in the inset has little feet on the bottom that fit in the threads of the main pump. I used needle nose pliers to hold it and push it in. Push it in such that the little feet that stick out on one end are on the bottom.

My spouse and I (neither terribly mechanically inclined) took apart our Starbucks Barista machine, cleaned the parts and put it back together. Though we found nothing obviously wrong, the cleaning and reassembling fixed the problem. You saved another machine from the landfill. Thank you!!

I was having this problem exactly; in fact, after following your great tutorial, I determined my problem was also with the little insert as well. When I opened it up, it was the first time I saw water, and the little black thing was also stuck in my valve. Anyway, got it all fixed, assembled back together.

Now I have a strange problem that I'm desperately hoping you can help me with.

Uh... got it all assembled back, plugged it in, turned it on, and.... nothing. It's honestly like no power is even going to the machine. I double checked everything to make sure it was all connected, and it was. So I figured I must have done something wrong with the pump, so I disassembled it again, but no... everything was back in correctly.

i don't know if you still have your machine but try changing the thermo fuse. You can call Saeco directly and get this part. On the parts list it is #31 or 183402262. Mine did the same thing as yours, however now I have another problem - pump runs but no water is going through the machine. I'm about to take apart the machine as described and I'll let you know what happens next.

I pulled the Ulka EP5 out of my Breville becaaue it wasn't creating any suction. I used the exploded view of the pump mechanism which prompted me to examine the inner plastic valve and seat (the seat is on the shaft end of the piston). The plastic valve had worn down to what looked like a small ball which was able to pass through the center of the tapered spring winding. I examined the ball under magnification and was able to see that as I had suspected, it had originally been mushroom shaped, similar to the black output valve referred to in the other postings. I replaced the worn out plastic intake valve with the tail end of a small engine caburator float valve. Once cut off the rest of the valve, the little stem fit right into the spring and had a nice domed surface which fit the seat nicely. It's more quiet than before and works great. Cost %0.00

The polarity of the connections to the pump matter. If your lights and display work but no pump activity is detected, this may be the issue. Discomnnect and change the polarity before trying it again. This is a common mistake made upon re-assembly. If the problem persists, try the thermo switch which can be bypassed. If the pump starts with the thermo switch bypassed, replace the switch and you should be in business. DO NOT RUN IT WITHOUT THE THERMOSWITCH or you could create a fire hazard. and ensure that the thermo switch is in its position against the pump solonoid.

Hi, Thank you for your detailed post!! I purchased a Starbucks barista for $8.00 and seemingly new! but not working, after reading your post I am able to enjoy at least brewing coffee I do have a few questions if you would be so kind and helping me out, the Steam valve area I need to figure out how to fix the little metal part that pushes the little button inside to I guess activate the steam does not seem to work properly, what happens is that when the green light turns on after I push the steam button does not do anything but if I depress the steam button and turn the steam knob to "on" it makes a brewing sound and water comes out of valve. I don't think I am using it properly or maybe I did something wrong? please help

I am having alot of trouble getting the piece that attaches to the boiler off. In fact, I am stripping the metal. I have it loose, but it won't turn because the plastic tubing won't turn with it. How do I get this unscrwed?

The reason I unscrewed from the boiler was because the connection closer to the pump was stuck.My little experience in unsticking nuts is:Put penetrating oil on the threads. Tap the nut solidly several times. Wait several hours. Tap again. Try to unscrew. It usually works, but I have no special knowledge beyond that.

Rod, it's not that it's stuck. I got it unstuck. It's just that when you unscrew it, the hardware/tube keeps it from turning. I cannot grab the nut only, I can only grab the nut and the hardware/tube and the tube doesn't move around like a nut. If I could just grab the nut it would work. It's so thin, it's impossible. I tried holding the hardware/tube with a pliers and then twisting the nut but there's not enough rooom. Am I supposed to pull and not twist?

I don't really have anything. The reason I disconnected the hose at the boiler instead of the pump was that I couldn't get the nut to break lose at the pump, but I could at the boiler.I've got no secret answer here. Sorry.

Thanks so much for this post. Everything is in soaking and I'll put it back together tonight. If it doesn't work then I'll spring for a new pump (the machine is 12 years old so if I have to spend $50 to keep it running it seems worth it to me.) You're right, there is a need for everything, the challenge is simply finding a great page and someone like you who took the time to set it up. Thanks Again. Joy

Rod is definitely a saint, but I've got to warn people that the following sentences are easier said than done. It is impossible. Someone needs to post more detailed instructions on how to do this:

"I found it was easier to undo the high pressure fitting at the boiler. It did not want to come apart at the pump. I needed to remove one of the electrical connectors connected to one of the witches to get to the fitting easier."

I am back. I got the parts off! I might suggest some new verbiage to make things a little easier. But before I do that, I have to figure out my wire dilemma. I have un-hooked many of the wires to get all pieces off. I now can't recall where they go. There are two black wires coming out from the on buttons. One is connected to a gray (I don't think i touched that). What does the other black wire go to? Also, there is a grey wire in the same area. Actually bellow the one buttons. Where does that grey go? Lastly, there is a red wire that is wrapped around a grey wire that begins right around the on switch. Where does the red wire go? Thanks!!! If you have a good picture of all this, that would help. I can send you my email address.

I'll dig up the pictures I have and post full resolution versions. Should you get it back together, I expect you'll remember to take pictures, and, or, mark things with masking tape in future projects.

The picture unfortunately aren't helping. Do you, or does anyone know the following:

-There is a tube that is connected to the light in the front. I have one black wire connected to grey single. I don't think I ever touched that. However, the other black wire in that tube is free. Does anyone know where that connects? I have a brown and grey wire open. It has to be one of those.

-on the other side of the steam switch, there are two slots. There is a grey wire on the bottom. In the same fitting is another grey wire. Where does that grey wire go? Is it in the slot above the other grey wire? Or somewhere else/

Hello my friends. recently i found in my father´s garage a big box with tons ok ulka pumps EP5 120v and Ek 220v tIm interested to sell them all for a very special price. if you are interested please email-me to brito761@gmail.com.

my pump was starting to become unreliable (stalling during delivery with just a faint vibration noise and slight drip only of coffee. So I dismantled and cleaned - worked again for a day or so and then seized in same way. The pump internals are in great condition - no corrosion, but the piston assy. was stuck - and this was because of a deformed small silicone o-ring around the thin part of the piston shaft. This o-ring is seated in the plastic case. A complete service of this pump would involve obtaining a new o-ring kit - I can't find anywhere the specs for these o-rings (internal / external diameter, type of silicone material etc.

Its easy to free the piston and get it going again but in my view this is a temporary repair as the o-ring does seem to get permanently deformed through use, and only a matter of time before it starts 'catching' again.

I bought a replacement off ebay for 10 pounds but it doesn't deliver the full pressure of the original one either, as it was clearly reclaimed from a used machine itself! But it is working and if I am careful not to pack the coffee into the basket too tightly it doesn't stall. Be nice not to have to worry about that though!

I'm in the process of trying to fix a invensys CP4SP-C2 pump that is now obsolete and stumbled upon your site but unfortunately I can't see any of the pictures in your tutorial, they just appear empty.Great site and some of your schematics, on othger links, have really helped me understand how the internals of the pump work. The invensys pumps are pressed to together during manufacture so although I have got it apart and hopefully should get it working it is going to be a real challenge getting it back together so that it doesn't leak!!!Some other links have implied that there is a ULKA pump that is a direct replacement for the invensys CP4SP-C2 model, any thoughts?Thanks again, Kevin (London)

Just adding my voice to the many. Thanks so much for taking the time to post this. I bought a Krups at a flea market for $5. It didn't have water to test, but it got warm and made pumping noises and I thought it was OK. Alas, when I got home nothing came out. I figured out how to get everything apart and made sure all the pathways were clear, so it was down to the pump. I googled the pump model and yours was the first hit./ Followed your directions and it works! Thanks again.

Hi Rod,and I gotta to thank you for helping me with my own efforts - as someone said similarly, I'm pretty 'challenged' around doing any repairs, in house or otherwise - but have a Vibiemme (with this pump) and wasn't working.I followed your post to the word - and actually managed to descale, assemble it all again and it's now WORKING!great thanks - and don't be surprised, posts like this are timeless - as long as there're ulka-s, Vibiemme-s and similar machines,Many thanksDragan

Great Post but I tried it all and no success. Maybe sometimes the pump just needs to be replaced. Unfortunately I bought this on Kijjiji and figured it was a great deal. We had it working before I left the sellers house but within a few days....no more! oh well...better luck next time! if you have any other suggestions, I'd be happy to hear them.! Monique

I've got an old, 18+ years Starbucks Barista,and while searching for a new pump found your post. Tried it and was unsuccessful at first, no flow, so I disassembled again and tried mounting the small plastic ball on the shaft before reasembly to make sure it was centered. Worked like a charm. Not sure I've got all the pressure I had when it was new, but a lot of it is back. Many, many thanks.

Thanks for your time. Followed your directions and fully dismantled and rebuilt several times but still no luck. Pump just won't kick in and send out any water. One last thing was the ceramic housing had some white residue on the metal casing where the two touched but not much else noticable. Washed it all of but still no water. Thermo switch is final option. Do I just cut it off and splice the lead without it?

Great description on how to fix the pump. And as was expected my problem was the same as yours--obviously the main defect of that product. Mine resulted from leaving the unit dry for too long and the built-up gunk on that little valve-piston forcing it to stick to the side-wall.

Thanks for posting this article. It gave me the confidence to rip into mine. My machine always sounded like it was working but sometimes would not push any water through it. Then one day it stopped moving water all together.

After looking at your dissected pump I took mine apart, soaked everything in vinegar and put it back together. The motor is now consistently pumping water!

Thank you for great help :)I have some problems and would like to ask you and the readers to help.

I have a Breville with a ulka pump and have taken it apart and cleaned it but no help :( It looks just like the pic. (with the white ball and the black mushroom.

the problem is, after the first cup of the day it suddenly dont want to work any more. It huffs and puffs but nothing comes through. If i turn it to steam or coffe and turn the switch on and off it spits water for a sec. then nothing, this leads me to think that maybe one of the balls if stuck open so there is no build up of pressure. what do you all think?

So...I took my hamilton beach espresso machine apart and performed this repair/cleaning and the pump seems to be working at least partially now. Now I have another problem, I've had the machine apart for three weeks since I haven't had time to work on it. My machine has the pump inlet line, the steamer connection line (threaded) and TWO push-on lines. I know one goes to the brew head but I am not sure where the second one goes. I'm also not sure WHICH one goes to the brew head. Can anyone post a picture of the inside of their Hamilton Beach 40729 espresso machine? Or at least post a description of where each line goes? Thanks to anyone who can help! You can also email me at japazo88(at)hotmail(dot)com

Just repaired the espressom/c of my Dad using your 'manual' and the comments given: a ball that to small for the spring. Tried to change the shape and it works fine formnow. Otherwise I'll try to find some bigger diameter alternatives.

I just repaired an Elektra R2 espresso machine with a defective Ulka ex5 pump using your instructions. You were spot on, it was part 4 on your overview picture that had gotten itself stuck, a few minutes in a vinegar bath and it was as good as new.

At first it didn't seemed to have worked. It was making the pumping sound but not drawing water. I disconnected the macine and opened it up. I found that removing the inlet plastic tube, and filling it with water, reattaching it and then shaking it a bit to let water inside the pump (you see small air bubbles coming back out the tube) worked. The pump has a hard time starting with just air it seems.

Please add that tip as it may be why some people can't get theirs to work even after trying your methods.

Im gonna use your tutorial to attempt to fix the pump on the smoke machine we have at the fire department. I have 3 options either fix the current pump, buy a new pump for 60 bucks or purchase a new smoke machine for almost $3000...I hope your tutorial solves my problem but with smoke machines one never really knows whats actually wrong

Thank you so much for taking the time to post this article. It just saved me from ordering a new pump for my Barista. I just followed the step by step instructions and behold ... I'm back in espresso land again! My issue was also valve #3 stuck inside the brass housing.

Rod thank you so much for generously creating and sharing this great resource.I pulled my pump apart with your guidance. you made it easy for me.

Unfortunately the black mushroom valve is visibly deformed under magnification and I am convinced that this is the reason the pump failed. I will have to buy a replacement pump for 25 UK Pounds because I can't easily find that part. BUT your instruction is awesome.Richard, London UK

Hi Rod!My Barista has been sitting in my shop for about 4 or 5 years. I finally decided it might be nice to have a homemade latte again so I attempted to fix it. This being the first time I was dissembling this machine it was all a new experience. I cleaned everything and made sure all the parts were freed up and moving. No luck! The pump still made the same noise but no water and no steam. Then my wife found your post. I had the same problem you did! I saw that little black rubber stopper thingy and realized it didn't look familiar from my first time through. So, the second time through I went right to the part, popped it out, cleaned it and all related parts, reassembled and tested. Success! Water and steam! Now I'm doing another descaling and cleaning for good measure. Thank you, thank you, thank you! Your guidance has saved me money and sanity! I now hope it will last forever . . . Bon apetite! (hope I spelled that right . . .)

Thanks so much for these instructions. I purchased a used Breville 800ESXL on Craigslist for $75. The seller said it had been a gift, had only been used twice and had been sitting unused for a few years. I was very disappointed to find that, although it sounded like it was going through the correct sequence of operations, no water came through the steam wand or the shower head.I followed your instructions and found the exact same pump problem you describe. The outer of the two tiny ball balls was stuck to the surrounding housing. I guess it had become "glued" there as the water in the unused machine dried up.The only difference is that the pump in the Breville has a plastic housing rather than brass. Also, after completing the easy part of the disassembly, I was able to dislodge the stuck ball by gently inserting a paper clip into the ousing instead of removing part number 3.Thanks again for this great post.

I purchased a new Ulka ex5 and after 3 days it failed. Apparently there is no warranty on these pumps. Lucky I stumbled across your post which has gotten me out of some trouble. The issue with the pump was that the valve (No 4 in diagram) was stuck in the seat. I followed your instructions and re seated it. The next day again the pump failed. This time when I dismantled it the valve was entangled in the spring on the side where No 2 is on diagram. It passed through the seat to the other side of the brass stem. I rebuilt the unit and made sure everything was properly inserted and tested the unit all evening and this morning. All seems ok. Could this have been caused but improper assembly from the manufacturer or do you think there is more to it?As I said the pump has passed through several litres now and is still ok. But I'm damed why it would have sucked through the seat to other side.

Also i noticed on mine i have taken it all apart like the intructions but what was really wierd was that the red wire was not in the middle of the pump i took a picture of it before i removed it. It was on the opposite end??? i looked at many pictures and all of them show the red wire being attactched in the middle i have no idea why mine is on the opposite end when i opened it.... any ideas?

Thanks for the picture with the parts. I found the nylon ball worn out being the problem. I did cut of the steel part of a pin, used the round part to replace the nylon ball. After putting the pump together and assembling the espresso machine, espresso is brewing again! Hope it will last, but saved me e 40 for a replacement pump for the Gaggia Titanium

hI, Im trying to find a replacement for my pump EFP4 ULKA. it was installed in a Lavazza coffe machine, i just can find another similar models but not the same one, do you know where i could find a new pump? Thanks

Hi Joe I have a coffee and no water, the continuous and without leaving descale the coffee, so I opened it and clean the pump ulka but still the same, as I can measure with a voltmeter to see if you pump up the precione of 9 bar?

I write from Argentina, very good your blog I served muchGreetings Diego

Removed my pump per your instructions (wonderful by the way). Before I tore the pump down I, tried the pump with direct power and an inlet hose in water. It pumped just fine so I never had to tear it apart.

I then removed the short hard plastic tube that connects the pump/valve to the boiler head. It was clogged, hard, scaled, could not blow through it. I cleaned it with a wire coat hanger, re-assembled, and it works great!

The small rubber o-ring that forms a seal against the metal piston tends to swell over time. It eventually chokes the piston into not moving. You can replace this o-ring or use a drill bit by hand and make a larger opening on the o-ring to free up the piston.

Great instructions, Thanks! I have my motor out, direct wired it with a inlet hose in cup and nothing, not any sound or vibration, just dead. My question is should I continue to disassemble the pump or is it fools errand? Seems if I had a problem similar to the the ones posted the pump would still hum or vibrate or do something.

This article certainly has stood the test of time (it's 2014). Thank you for posting it.

My Ulka EP5 suddenly was unable to build any pressure (similar to your EX5 but uses a nylon sleeve instead of brass). So I dismantled it...and parts #3 and #4 were fused together.

Part #3 appears to have melted into an irregular shape and the spring (#4) was embedded and actually poked through the other side. This pump was installed in a Rancilio Silvia. My PID failed and I think the temperatures must have skyrocketed due to faulty sensor feedback.

I finally managed to get some tools fine enough to remove the part and confirmed that the spring was indeed melted through #3 (and bent up as a result. Ironically the little black rubber "mushroom" was in perfect condition. I guess I'll hold on to that in case my new pump (an EAX5) fails in the future.

Thank you! Please never delete this page from the internet. This just saved my little Barista Athena that was in storage for the past three years. All parts of the pump were gunked up, and it wouldn't draw water anymore. I thought I was going to have to spend $50+ bot a new Ulka pump, but found your site. Thank you! I was able to clean out the parts, and now the machine is working better than new! THANK YOU!

One thing that has not been mentioned: If you have let the machine run out of water, you may have the same clues; i.e. not pumping any water. I have had my Silvia since 2001. The only problem I had in the past, was the thermostat going out, and I replaced it. However, the thermostat is 100 degrees and the original was 110. It doesn't produce the same rich creama that it used to. So I will typically turn on the steam switch for about a minute to warm the water up. Recently, within the last month or so, I forgot that I had left the machine on and of course the water boiled. From then on it wouldn't pull water through the pump. I pulled it apart and nothing was wrong with the pump. I had forgotten about priming the boiler by pushing some water through the steam wand! Now it works great. And since I was on a repair kick, I tore apart my Rocky Grinder and cleaned it out. Wow, what mess inside! Hunks of ground coffee that I had to clean off with a brush. All good now...

I already bought and installed a new EP5 for a Saeco Royal Coffe bar, but I decided to disassemble the old one to see what was wrong. It was the ball-through-the-spring problem. This pump had made in the area of 75k coffees so I'm not surprised it was worn out. FYI, the machine itself was still pumping some water but was displaying VENTILATE on the display. Took a while for me to figure out what the problem was. Thanks for the great blog.

THANKS! Your excellent photos helped me rebuild the pump in a Starbucks Athena (Saeco SIN 017H) that had been sitting unused for years. The only problem was the little black mushroom in the brass check valve was stuck to its seat. Eric (Chicago / Detroit)

After four days, the pump failed again. Even the steel ball glued to the entrance of the piston. And it was deformed in the action.Now, I took a bike bearing ball, actually it bit larger, but the pump works again.

Hi!. I have come here looking for a replacement water pump for my coffeemaker, but I was encouraged to see your repair, that have successfully addressed.He had completely destroyed the rubber (piece number 4) I've rebuilt carving his way a piece of rubber (Kitchen Craft Flexible Rubber Spatula) that is able to withstand high temperature.

I think Diabolo relates to a liquid soap dispenser, such as pressing by hand gives you a squirt of soap. It is nothing more than a small hand pump that draws soap from the bottom of the container. So the mechanism is similar to the pump and you may be able to get similar pieces. Besides a simple version can be very cheap.

Great article that helped me get my pump serviced. I have a Krupps XP5280. Plastic one instead of the Brass tube and I found it was clogged with a small soft rubber sheet. I check the image posted and did not see the same part. So, I am not sure what that part is. However, I removed it and assembled it back and the machine works great now. Thank you for this article.

I am a retired teacher (female) and was devastated when my beloved Starbucks espresso machine stopped working. I am not a mechanical genius but I do own a toolkit. Seeing this blog I gave it a try. The pictures helped a lot since I'm a visual learner. I learned how to unhookcircuits, find and keep up wth tiny plastic ball, clean tinyblack plastic mushroom, put wire springs into tiny spaces,and two hours later when I had it all put back together gave myself a 3 in 10 chance of it working! It actually works like new! Thank you Rod!

Happy to add my thanks for great resource. Also wanted to add some specifics of my experience, as some of the symptoms I had aren't described here or elsewhere and the description might benefit others in the future.

My pump death was gradual and intermittent. I had noise -- like from an air lock -- loudness and a more hollow, resonant vibration that preceded any other issues. It was intermittent, usually after filling the tank, and I could usually clear it by placing my finger over the end of the suction tube and releasing a few times (priming the pump).

Only in hindsight am I connecting this symptom to the eventual failure, which started with flipping the lever (I have a La Scala Butterfly) and having no water come out, despite pump noise. The machine had accidentally been left on and I was a bit panicked that the boiler may have dried out.

I let it cool completely (after trying unsuccessfully a few times to get it going). When cool I tried again and did manage to finally get it going again (forcing water under pressure into the pick up tube, I think). All OK for a week or two and then it failed again. Pump would run -- make noise -- but no water flow from group head. I did have some suction pressure at pick up tube, so a bit of a mystery.

After disassembling, soaking and reassembling my pump (no scale and everything actually looked really good) I bench tested it (all OK) and reassembled, only to have it fail again almost immediately.

I was on my way to purchasing a replacement and read the post above about the ball bearing replacement. I had noticed that my plastic ball was lodged in the piston when I disassembled my pump. Wasn't stuck bad, I just flicked it out with a fingernail, but if definitely sat in there comfortably, not falling out on disassembly.

I thought I might have a ball bearing the right size, based on the post above (~4.5mm). Indeed, in my shed I had a few spare ball bearing for the hub of my road bike, a bit bigger than my plastic ball (haven't measured, but suspect it is probably a bit less than 4.5mm).

Long story short, after reassembly it is up and running and sounding better than it ever has. Thinking I might look for a replacement plastic (Delrin) part as it did do a good job apparently of being the sacrificial wear point...

Ha, How much time will a craft plastic ball with a piece of wook in the middle will last ? The answers in a few days !!! Metal ball look's like an excessif choose and "air soft" ball are to big. Hum, postal cost for a letter with plastic ball in it, no warranty, no return needed.

Thank you!!! I just bought a used Super Vapor 6000 pressure steamer (that I overpaid for, but that's another matter...) and it wasn't drawing water. Found your site, took the Ulka Model E apart and noticed the same problem that others are having with the black mushroom (#4) popping through the ring. Soaking now and plan to put it back together, but I'm afraid it is going to do the same thing. Has anyone found a better replacement for the black mushroom piece? Seems like a serious design flaw.

Thanks very much for this useful post. It's still relevant in 2015! My Solis Master 5000 quit pumping, turned out to be the Delrin ball - it went through the tapered spring. Spring tweaking has fixed it for now... new ball or new pump in the near future.

There's not likely to be a response on where to get the ball. I have no information. I just posted my experience and a lot of people have looked at it since. It's allow a number of people to do repairs. Others, it just validated the problem they have. Nobody has ever posted a resouce on where to get these types of balls.

Adding to my comment directly above...After measuring a few things in my pump I think the correct replacement ball size will be either 1/8" or 3mm. That McMaster page I linked above has both sizies in Delrin and 1/8" in PTFE.

Hi Rod, I arrived here on a google search on rebuilding the pump. I don't have the same espresso machine but mine does have the Ulka pump (as do probably most consumer machines) and it was stuck from calcification. I picked it up for a song because it wasn't working, and now after 20 minutes of fiddling and referring to your pictures to confirm everything was back to where it was supposed to be, I have a working machine! Thanks!

Even though this post is 7 years old, wanted to say thanks. I bought one of these at Goodwill knowing it was good quality but not knowing if it would work. Turned out to have the EXACT same problem as yours. Corrosion from the brass had lodged the rubber stopper in the tube. Took everything apart and cleaned as per your advice, works great now.

Rod,A very big thank you for posting the article and great pictures! Managed to repair our 15 year old Saeco Grand Crema espresso machine that has been in daily use. Ulka EX5 pump had the mentioned ball-trough-the-spring problem. We have very soft water here and the limescale was not the issue this time.

Ball was wearn to so tiny that I repleced it with cutted round end of a bulletin board pin. Not sure if thats food grade plastic but it works! Ball bearing might be better. And the espresso machines's sound level went dradticallt down - it's a muh better than it has been for a years. Your great article saved me a few hundred euros/usds not needing to buy a new good qualiy espresso maker!

Great information here! I have a Salton Maxima that I obtained after the 1984 World's Fair here in New Orleans. The ULKA H64 pump I just took apart cleaned and got functioning again but I noticed a lot of rust and corrosion inside the pump. This probably stems from the fact that it is a commercial machine and made for constant use! I use it occasionally so it does not sit well with water in the pump. Anyway, was wondering if someone may know of a newer ULKA vibratory pump that I could replace it with that would stand up to this occasional use? I would imaging the newer pumps have more plastic parts. Was also wondering if anyone tried putting a filter of some sort on the tube between the pump and the boiler....just to catch any rust or particles that may break loose from inside an old pump?

Thank you! I fixed my transfer station find (Starbucks Barista) based on your website. I was a little worried that I bent a spring or did something wrong, but my machine is working great now. I followed your advice that you had nothing to lose.

Hi friends, I have a problem with Ulka EP5 CS M6294, everything described here is fine but the pump does not provide enough bars / 15 / and I noticed that the pump very hot and suspected that he might have insulation in the winding wire abated and thus changed the electromagnetic properties, then I measured the resistance of the coil and it is 1600 k / ohm, can anyone measure the resistance at the correct pump to be sure what is the breakdown ... thanks in advance.

Thanks for your webpage. I have a small coffee vending company utilizing Saeco machines. The pumps are a pain. Your 'breakdown' picture helps a lot. It seems #3 & #4 are a huge issue for me. Just to let you know I do not put the pumps back in the machine to test them, I have a power cord from one of the Saeco machines I broke down and this cord to wire it directly to the pump. Connect water hoses at both ends of the pump, running them into a bowl full of water and vinegar. I then just plug it in, this runs the pump constantly, but you need to secure the pump on a towel so it doesn't vibrate away. People who are not experienced with electrical devices should not try this since the lines are right there. I'll send you a picture if you want one. I have about 8 bad pumps that just don't even vibrate, I'm breaking them down for parts now.

Thanks so much for your instructions. I had the same problem on a Solis Master 5000 which uses the same pump as the Saeco units. Still $50 to replace even used ones going for $50 on ebay. I took it apart, descaled and it's all up and running. I also took apart the boiler and manually descaled and replaced the orings. Machine is up and running again. Saved me $50. Thanks

I have the pump apart in front of me, thanks to your pictures it was easy to take apart.

My problem is, that the pump doesn't let any water through.When fully assembled, the valve is closed, when I try to blow through.Is it supposed to be that way, or should it be open?I haven't looked at part 1 yet, which you say could also cause problems.Can you please tell me what part 1 is called, if I need to buy a replacement?

Hi Rod,just a question.After descaling my Expresso De Longhi ec155 I had a problem with low water pression, too much low to extract a good coffee (steam is ok).I disassembled the ulka pump, all component seem ok, but water flow is 600ml/minute before the boiler and 300ml/minute on the cup (of coffee).If I remove the rilsan pipe from boiler the water pressure seems ok, but If I reconnect it and fill the basket with coffe, there is low water.I don't hear no strange rumor when the pump is on.All other component of the machine seem valide, so my question: how can I test if the pump is ok?I'd avoid to buy a new one without solve the problem.Thank you in advance for your help.

Greetings from Finland. I bought today Delingho coffee maker from flea shop in good faith that it was working, looked like new. Well, it wasn't. After some fiddling I noticed that the pump aint pumping and I even burned the heat fuse. After that I disassembled the pump and couldn't find out the reason why it is not working. I am a professional mechanic and it seemed to me that something was missing from the pump. After googling few minutes I found this web page and "explosion view" of the pump. Mine was missing the ball (quite strange, maybe it never worked). Stole plastic ball from hand soap dispenser and pump works now like charm. (Except I bypassed the heat fuse, need to go buy new one tomorrow and then assemble the coffee maker).

Last month, I saw the pressure dropping below optimal values. Today, the pump failed. I checked the steel ball, it was worn to about a third of its original size and more ore less shaped like a disk. Replaced the old ball with a new one (4.1 mm this time) and got the machie running again like new. So - I hope - next update end 2017.

Two years after replacing my EP5 and using the info in your blog to find what failed in the old pump, I'm back again. This time, the small spring associated with part (2) had broken into two pieces. It had the same symptoms as before when the nylon ball had worn down and gone through the spring. The pump still worked, but pressure was lower than it should have been. The machine would display "ventilate" after working for a few coffees. Fortunately, I had kept the old pump and was able to switch out the spring. Qapla'! Back in business. Thanks for the blog!

A month ago, the pump failed again. Inspection revealed, that the 4.1 mm ball had widened the opening of the piston and was fixed there. This time I took a 4.5 mm ball and remodeled the opening of the piston with a file. Up till now, the pump is working fine again.

I just got my pump fixed up and found the info here very useful. THANK YOU for posting!I had to make one pump out of two, one had the mechanical pump section very stiff and the other had a blown diode/coil. I found the coil has a diode in it that had blown in mine and some windings had melted as well. This coil measured about 50 Ohms resistance in both directions, when powered it did hum a bit but not very loud and water would barely drip out of it. The other coil measured about 1.4M Ohms in one direction if I recall properly, and open circuit in the other (due to the working blocking diode on one leg). You should read very high resistance one way and open circuit the other on a good coil...but the pump was still stuck...I disassembled both pumps, soaked them both in vinegar and then put together one pump out of the parts that moved well when assembled. I put the cleaned pump mechanism in the coil that had the high resistance and BOOM, humming and pumping water like crazy!I figured I would post to say thanks and pass on the info about the coil and diode in case that might be helpful to someone else. When the diode popped I knew it, the sound of the pump changed suddenly, if I had turned off the machine immediately I might have been able to prevent the coil from melting and been able to fix it by adding an external blocking diode. Oh well, at least I had a spare parts machine to pick over...

Dear Rob, what an amazing achievement, look how much you've helped people over these years! I, too, bumped into your site for the same reasons: pump failed. I have this same kind of pump in my Ascaso Dream Up V3 which are expensive machines but so well worth the repair tou suggested. My pump looks slightly different than yours but I was able to do much of the same you did. I have put everthing back and just before I couod test out the pump I had to let the machine warm up. Just as it was warming up I started noticing a little smoke coming from thr thermoblock. There are there switches plugged in via two receptors sitting on top. I also noticed a strange white material very similar to the look of caulk right at the base of one of these connectors. I noticed that connector was not making contact all the way. Do you happen to know what thus white stuff could be and if it is a fire hazard? At this point I haven't even tested out the pump. Any insight on what this could be would be helpful. Thanks a lot! Filoman

I just wanted to take a moment to add my thanks to the still-growing list of grateful espresso drinkers out here who have benefited from the time you took to explain (and show) how to disassemble, clean and reassemble the pump on the Barista machine. I was given a non-functioning machine that had been sitting idle for many years, and after trying miscellaneous troubleshooting fixes followed your rebuild procedure. It now looks and works as new. I really appreciate your help. Cheers!

You sir are a freaking Genius...I haven't used my Barista in years...had an urge to make my wife a latte but the pump would not prime. Tired the turkey baster method without any success...was I about to scrap it or buy a new pump. Can across this thread...took the pump apart and the small black rubber ball in picture #4 was stuck. Pushed it out with a paper clip, cleaned the scale in the brass piece...reassemble in the reverse order and it's working like brand new.

Hi Rod, I too used the great info on this blog to disassemble the pump in our Saeco Syntia machine, only to discover that it was mechanically fine internally. It would pump water but not produce enough pressure to brew coffee. It turned out that the diode in the coil assembly was shorted so that the pump was just humming rather than the more raspy buzz that is normal. As mentioned previously, this can be checked with an ohmmeter. Measure the resistance across the terminals then reverse the meter leads and measure again. One direction should be low resistance (ours was around 50 Ohms on a 120VAC machine) and the other should be high (basically open circuit). Ours was 50 Ohms in both directions, indicating a shorted internal diode. This is much better than an open diode or coil because it can be fixed by adding an external diode. I just cut the small wire from the thermal protector and soldered a diode ( 1.5A, 600V is what I had) in series and we were back in business! So just a note to check the coil and diode if everything looks normal but the pump still doesn't work. Thanks again, Rod and everyone else who has contributed. David

Thank you for the very simple tips! I had the exact same issue with my barista pump and followed your advice to the letter. Now it works great and you saved me the cost of a new pump, along with the wife's frustration of not having her latte! You are awesome!

This is a great example of one person taking a little extra time to publicize their work and it helping hundreds of people. Thanks for taking the time to post this! I ended with two white Barista machines for under $20 each recently. One primed but didn't brew, the other made noise but wouldn't prime. Between your work and iFixit, both machines are now working perfectly in just a few hours of work. Bless you, sir!

I've got a fresher pump that worked good, took it apart and compared both old and new side by side.The ONLY difference was the little seal (the smallest one in the unit) that was worn and wasn't tight on the rod.That's it.The appearance of everything else was identical.I even swapped the seals from new pump to the old one to confirm my conclusion.

Is it possible for a ullka ex5 to just slow down after it gets used a lot. The ex5 is used in the vapor cleaners I use in my cleaning company and the pumps are running quite a bit. I have 20 used pumps. I know the sound that the pump makes gets quieter, and than doesn't fill the boiler fast enough. Can this be fixed by just cleaning the internal parts. Any help would be greatly appreciated.Thank you for your time, John

Thanks for the great article. While it didn't solve my problem, it narrowed down my troubleshooting.

My Lelit had been hesitating for about 2 seconds every time I turned on the pump. It would hum like it was frozen, and then kick in and start vibrating. Once it kicked in, pressure was fine. It finally stopped pumping entirely, and I thought it might be scale that was gumming it up. I just took apart the pump according to your diagrams, and everything inside looked great. No scale, no stuck parts. I cleaned it anyway and reassembled.

Sadly, it still just hums. I think it has truly failed.

Luckily, I found a replacement on Amazon Prime for only around $40, so all in all, not too terrible.

Thanks Rob, On the bandwagon of this amazing post same as many above the white delrin ball was lodged in the spring. I just closed the small end of the spring a little and all good. As a mechanical engineer with experience in double diaphragm pumps which use plastic check valve balls I suspected it was the check valves but your post was invaluable.I would like to add that as found in above posts that using a ball bearing will eventually cause problems with the piston as found in other posts. The delrin is used for a reason and that is it is a hard engineered plastic that will give good service life considering it is being hammered into the end of the piston millions of times in its life but just as important is that it is the sacrificial part in preference to the piston end.A service kit the both check valve springs, mushroom valve and the delrin ball (which in the pumping industry was more lucrative than selling the pump in the first place!!!!!) would be fantastic!!!!! Food for thought and you Sir would have a flood of customers.If I worked for Ukla I would have designed it with a steel bearing for the check valve then the parts to repair would ensure a new pump replacement every time it fails.Can anyone confirm the new diameter of the delrin ball?I suspect mine was combination of ball wear and spring opening but I did check the ball was still large enough to seal the end of the piston. Im sure it will happen again and will be sourcing a new ball and spring next time hopefully by then you will have a service kit available hint hint.Cheers Alex

My Estro 410 uses the same pump. It was working alright until I decided to descale it. (Funny huh. If it ain't broken don't fix it.)

After descaling the pump pressure dropped and I found your fix. It worked well for a few pulls and now the pressure is weak again. When I tried again the next morning (I'm a glutton for punishment) it pulled a partial shot and then it failed. Right now it does not sufficient pressure for espresso. BTW. All the parts looked fine except the piston surface and white tube had a small rust spot (0.5 inch). After polishing the piston it was pitted but I assume this is negligible.

The machine is over twenty years old.

I noticed before putting it back together, on the intake side, there were air bubbles in the line. I'm going to pull the cover and clamp the hose to the fitting, if it's still pulling air.

I struggled to get pressure from my pump. Stripped twice and examined carefully, realised o-ring (item 2) needs to be tight on plunger shaft. Found correct size in a box of o-rings bought from Toolstation. Now works perfectly!

I took the pump apart (again) but before I saw the suggestion about the the number 2 o-ring.

It pumps water (during the test) but not enough pressure to "pop" the portafilter consistently. Eventually it pulls a shot (a little bitter to the taste) but the pump struggles and becomes louder as it tries to build up pressure.

Coincidentally, I checked the fit of the o-ring on the shaft and it wasn't loose. But I'm going to find a replacement for it. It's twenty years old. Perhaps it developed a flat spot on the ID.

For all of you looking to replace the plastic/nylon ball in #2, I took other people's advice and took apart a handsoap dispenser from my kitchen. It was for regular soap NOT the foaming kind. Inside was a plastic ball where the tube meets the spring. I had to cut mine apart to get at it. I rePlaced it inside the pump and it worked. Thank you for everyone's input.

I do want to mention that I did have to do thorough cleaning of all of that tubes as well. There was a lot of calcium buildup that sealed the valves closed.

About the plastic ball, I ended up opening silica pack (the small bags that absorbs moisture) and carefully choosing one round and big enough. It does the job perfectly. It is not toxic (unless you ingest a large quantity of them).

My pump was working OK on my Saeco Intuita but steam was coming out from the wand instead of coffee from the coffee drip tubes. Took apart the whole thing and there are three valves in there with springs,( not including any in the pump) one on the top of the removeable module, one in the bit that feeds the module located in the main machine ( bit of a pain to get to you have to take the whole machine apart nearly) that one needs an allan key to remove the end and there is a rubber mushroom thing under the spring. Lastly there is the solenoid that turns on the steam or if not lets it go through the coffee module.Cleaned all three and put back together,now it works as new! Actually I could probably have got away with just cleaning the bits in the solenoid, bearing in mind the symptoms, but I had problems with the others in the past so did all three.Sorry I did not take any pictures in my haste to get it all working. Great blog.Anthony

Re the Silica gel balls, Out of interest, I checked on Wikepedia, beware if they are dyed as they could then be toxic or carcinogenic, otherwise it seems they are safe to add to foodstuffs, however apparently according to that source " Some types of silica gel will "pop" when exposed to enough water. This is caused by breakage of the silica spheres when contacting the water.[4]"It would be interesting therefore to follow up on the fate of that Silica ball in the coffeemaker! Anthony.

Same issue of shorted EXA5 pump diode on my QuickMill Anita 50ohms in both directions. Thanks to everyone for all the info here. Disassembling and reassembling the pump was a breeze thanks to the photos. The only thing I'm left wondering about is why the pump has such a low rating for max temperature. Inside the boiler area of any machine that's heating up for more than 1/2 hour or so, it would be difficult to imagine the inlet water not being a lot higher, unless the machine were plumbed.... which mine is not.

One tip that I've learned the hard way... If the coffee is ground too finely, it ends up burning out the pump, because it takes too long to pull the shot.

Thank you all for the kind comments. I certainly wish I had done a better job at this point. I never expected the number of people who visit this page to do so. I don't have anything to add, and don't know the answer to questions. I just wanted to post that I'm here and watching.

I think generally a certain fact has bbeen slightly overlooked in this very helpful thread.

The fact is that the nylon (or Delrin, or whatever) has several competing constraints, and the manufacturers must have balanced these when choosing the ball.

The ball must be:

* larger than the opening of the spring (noticed in this thread often)* similar in size to the opening of the pumping piston, namely:* a. small enough to cover the hole in the piston* b. large enough to not get stuck inside the piston* softer than the metal material from which the piston is made, and therefore* food safe

It seems like the designers of these pumps picked a solution of plastic/nylon/whatever so that the ball itself is the first intended failure mechanism. Otherwise, bits of metal or metal dust would not only continue downstream into the coffee machine; but worse, into the human. For the same reason, you should be careful when using a metal that is significantly harder, or more brittle, than the nylon (such as metal ball bearings). Bits of metal and metal dust will end up in the things that you drink. The machine will go through metal ball bearings faster than it will go through nylon bearings, I bet (this may seem counterintuitive at first, but it is correct).

If anyone has the exact size of the original balls (or mushroom shaped version thereof), please let us know.

I just finished repairing a Breville espresso machine with an Ulka Model E Type EP5 pump. This is the one that has a plastic body rather then brass. I ended up using a 3/16" nylon ball and it works great. The ball I removed measured .119" in diameter. I tested the pump, out of the machine, with an unrestricted output. I was able to pump a cup of water in under 20 seconds.

I too had the problem of the check valve ball becoming too small and falling within the spring. That said, this machine was 12 years old and used every day. I consider that an acceptable failure rate. Fixing the pump was the easy part. Getting to the pump was another story. There were several rusted screws at the base that had to be drilled out. This thing had to be completely disassembled.

If anyone needs a ball, contact me and we'll work something out. I can only say that this ball works in this model pump. I have no experience with other models, but I suspect they are the same.

Rod, thank you for this blog. It was reassuring to confirm what I suspected to be the problem. Also, thanks to the many who offered helpful comments.

Dear Rod, I was searching around your site. Great place to make these fantastic machines working again, but I think I have a problem which is not covered yet. My Ulka pump stopped completely working from one day to another. No degradation in pressure or any noise, completely dead. Do you have suggestions if there is an easy fix for this or is getting a spare part the only solution? I fear a problem with the coil, is there anything repairable at home?

I had figured out that it was the pump that was blocked, but had no idea how to fix it. It was the little rubber valve inside the brass fixture on the output end. Paperclip worked like a charm and once I cleaned everything it works like a new machine. At the risk of sounding repetitive, thank you, thank you, thank you! You Rock!

HELP!! My Machine has been sitting for about 7 years.... it heats perfectly...steam wand works great...but when I try to make a espresso shot it just dribbles out and the water flows back into my water tank. Any ideas on what the problem could be.??